Image options in preferences? August 22, 2006 9:33 PM   Subscribe

Can we have image toggling as one of the choices in our preferences?
posted by hooray to Feature Requests at 9:33 PM (24 comments total)

In Firefox: Edit → Preferences → Web Features → Load images for the originating website only. Or, if you don't want to apply this rule elsewhere, you can turn off images altogether for metafilter.com only (the logo is missing but it looks fine).
posted by IshmaelGraves at 9:46 PM on August 22, 2006


MetaChat's got this, just like profiles linked to the username rather than number.
posted by Eideteker at 10:40 PM on August 22, 2006


Yeah, but metachat has too much lapine influence, if you ask me.
posted by Jimbob at 11:09 PM on August 22, 2006


"MetaFilter Remove Comment Images" Greasemonkey script. Circa almost exactly one year ago, and it apparently still works! This old thread has a couple other suggestions, like adding things to your custom stylesheet.
posted by Plutor at 4:57 AM on August 23, 2006


A warning: since Greasemonkey scripts don't run until after the page is loaded, you still might see a moment of, for instance, elephant-pissing or googly-eyes-on-a-cock before the script has a chance to hide them. If you're at work and you're worried about proxy logs, well, you're boned. In that case, IshmaelGraves' suggestion or this pony might be your only hopes.
posted by Plutor at 4:59 AM on August 23, 2006


Also, as the page hasn't finished loaded until all elements within it have also loaded, you still have to download all of the images on the page before they can be retroactively blocked.
So you still have to download the latest episode of the League of Gentlemen before you can not see it.

As the title says "Remove Images", not "Prevent". It's a nice idea, but you can only do so much on client-side.

I don't know whether I support this or not. Probably. It should be fairly easy to code for Matt, it would allow those with nelly wee aversion to remain untainted, it would stop the MeTa threads. But would it also give impetus to the little jokers who take advantage of the tag under the new armour of "just turn off images then"?

I know I wouldn't use it myself: just couldn't live without the occasional "summon bevets".
posted by NinjaTadpole at 5:21 AM on August 23, 2006


Please figure out that your broswer can blacklist images from loading on metafilter.
posted by bob sarabia at 6:23 AM on August 23, 2006


As mentioned, you have to block all the images including the logo if you do it in Firefox, which is lame. You can't turn on the "for originating site only" preference for only one site.
posted by smackfu at 6:45 AM on August 23, 2006


No offense to people just trying to provide a suggestion, but I'm growing a bit tired of the "Use greasemonkey" response that seems to be prevalent in 90% of feature requests lately.

Firefox rocks, but it is not an option for some of us. I simply can't use it at work - I'm not allowed to use anything but IE. At home, I have to use IE because I do web development, and like it or not a developer has to use the browser that the vast majority of internet viewers use in order to make sure sites look right on it.

I know some people are just saying "hey, if you happen to use firefox, here's how you could take care of it", and that's totally cool. However, the tone from others often seems to be "your request is stupid because you can do it in firefox, dummy"...
posted by twiggy at 7:16 AM on August 23, 2006


You can turn images off in IE, too.

Tools-Internet Options-Advanced-Multimedia-Show Pictures
posted by grateful at 7:54 AM on August 23, 2006


I don't want to turn images off for all sites just because I don't want to see the NSFW crap people post to metafilter now that it's becoming more and more Farkified.

I'm pretty sure it would be easy to have an option to ignore IMG tags on MeFi comments. I think it's a worthwhile feature request.
posted by twiggy at 8:16 AM on August 23, 2006


Proxomitron or the like can clean the HTML out before the browser sees it. Adblock may or may not be able to do this.
posted by orthogonality at 8:40 AM on August 23, 2006


I can't find any option to block it in adblock, if you don't know the server names that the images are on.
posted by smackfu at 8:45 AM on August 23, 2006


When, oh when, are we just going to disable the img tag? How many pissing elephants and lhow much of loquacious's smut do we have to endure? Won't someone please think of the children?
posted by crunchland at 8:49 AM on August 23, 2006


I like all the filth. Some of the opinions could do with a little editing. I just use post-it notes for the comments I don't want to see, just need to keep them synchronized with scrolling. They are cheap and can be re-used. I recommend quite sincerely that you do the same. Why I have two of them blocking idiot opinions right now, and I feel sure they'd work for farkish filth wonderfully!
posted by econous at 9:38 AM on August 23, 2006


I am in favor of people having a choice. Images almost never add anything to the conversation. Neither do most comments, but at least I can wade through those without feeling like I've stumbed into somethingawful.com.
posted by frykitty at 10:53 AM on August 23, 2006


Please figure out that your broswer can blacklist images from loading on metafilter.

Please figure out whatever advice bob sarabia is going to give you before he gives it, and then take that advice and implement it, before you even ask. Otherwise, you're an idiot.
posted by Eideteker at 11:24 AM on August 23, 2006


Well, at least someone understands.
posted by bob sarabia at 11:54 AM on August 23, 2006


Hey, someone needs to feel your angle.
posted by Eideteker at 12:11 PM on August 23, 2006


Get a room!
posted by Plutor at 12:27 PM on August 23, 2006


It would be great to have a choice.
posted by raedyn at 12:31 PM on August 23, 2006


This actually sounds like a really great alternative to just killing the img tag altogether. It would benefit the work-browsers and the non-broadband-browsers, and the unemployed-shiftless-sitting-at-home-browsers like myself.
posted by MrZero at 1:56 PM on August 23, 2006


Firefox rocks, but it is not an option for some of us. I simply can't use it at work - I'm not allowed to use anything but IE
Two words - Portable Firefox. Of course, this will only work if you are prepared to ignore the requirement that you are not allowed to use anything else. If it is just a problem that you can't install it, here's your answer.

Optional images is a good idea.
posted by dg at 3:35 PM on August 23, 2006


smackfu : "I can't find any option to block it in adblock, if you don't know the server names that the images are on."

It's utterly impractical, but, I think, can be done, using regexp. First, you block all images except the images served from Metafilter (basically, you make a "block all images" rule, and then whitelist the images that Metafilter uses). Then, in the list of exception sites (sites for which AdBlock is deactivated), instead of specifying individual sites, you make a regexp saying "all sites besides Metafilter". So AdBlock will be deactivated for everywhere on the net besides MeFi, and then when you come to MeFi, will disable all images except the images MeFi itself hosts.

But this is insanely kludgy and makes your AdBlock useless for every other site in the universe. This comment is just a Proof Of Concept comment.
posted by Bugbread at 9:15 PM on August 23, 2006


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